Kings Edge Nets 126-122 to End Skid

Sacramento, California — The Sacramento Kings defeated the Brooklyn Nets 126-122 on Sunday afternoon at Golden 1 Center, ending a two-game losing streak with a hard-fought victory that featured standout performances from their bench and key free throws in the closing seconds.

Malik Monk led the Kings with a season-high 32 points, including 10 in the final five minutes, seven made three-pointers on 13 attempts, and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. Rookie Maxime Raynaud recorded his 16th double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Devin Carter contributed 16 points off the bench, including two crucial free throws with 6.6 seconds left that sealed the win. Precious Achiuwa added 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan finished with 10 points and eight assists. The Kings, now 19-53, shot 49 percent from the field in their last 10 games but relied on rebounding dominance, outrebounding Brooklyn 45- something in the contest.

For the Nets, who fell to 17-54 and extended their losing streak to seven games, Ben Saraf scored 22 points off the bench, Ziaire Williams and Malachi Smith each added 18, and Nolan Traore tallied 17. Traore's...